Indicate which actions have been carried out to implement this Resolution :
Policy influencing/advocacy
Describe the results/achievements of the actions taken:
A proposal for a Sanctuary in the South Atlantic Ocean has been repeatedly submitted to the IWC in recent years. To date it has not achieved the three-quarters majority of votes needed to amend the Schedule and thus become designated by the IWC. In 2016 the proposal of the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary (SAWS) is co-sponsored by the Governments of Argentina, Brazil, Gabon, South Africa and Uruguay, with the support of International Whaling Commission (IWC) members. The proposal aims to reassert biodiversity conservation interests in light of the growing regional contribution towards research, in addition to the economic interest of developing countries in the reinforcement of the sustainable, non-lethal and non-extractive use of whales.
At the Scientific Committee meeting in Bled, Slovenia, 9-21 May 2017, IWC acknowledged the IUCN Resolution supporting the adoption of the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary and the implementation of its management plan. At this meeting IUCN also proposed to synchronise the updating of the IWC list with the ongoing IUCN process of cetacean species and populations revision. IUCN will revise the list, in the form of a working document, when the ongoing IUCN review is concluded before 2018’s meeting.
What challenges/obstacles have been encountered in the implementation of this Resolution and how were they overcome :
Lengh of the IWC negociations. Opposition of whaling countries
Briefly describe what future actions are needed for the implementation of this Resolution:
To provide more info about the threat of marine mammals and on the necessity to designate a sanctuary in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Next IWC meeting (IWC67) will take place in Florianopolis, Brazil, Tuesday 4th September 2018 to Friday 14th September 2018.
